HELENA -- Come January, Montana Republicans' main political beachhead -- their slim majority in the state House of Representatives -- will lead from the right, with a decidedly conservative bent.

House Republicans chose this course last week, when they opted for a slate of outspoken leaders largely from the conservative wing of their party.

Incoming House Speaker Scott Sales of Bozeman is easily one of the body's most conservative members, known for his blunt, uncompromising floor speeches on the principles of less government, lower taxes and "personal responsibility.''

In his opinion, Republicans in Montana have lost political ground in recent years because they've abandoned conservative principles and been too liberal on government spending and other issues.

"There was a frustration within our party that we'd lost our compass a little bit,'' he said last week.

A recount in Yellowstone County's House District 58 last Monday broke a tie and gave the victory to Republican Krayton Kerns of Laurel, setting up Republicans with a 50-49 majority in the House when the Legislature convenes Jan. 3.

Constitution Party Rep. Rick Jore of Ronan, a former Republican, has said he'll vote with Republicans to elect the body's top officers and adopt its rules for the 2007 Legislature, thus giving Republicans a working 51-49 majority.

Democrats still have the upper hand in the legislative process, because they control the governor's office and a 26-24 majority in the Senate.

But Republicans will hold majorities on most, if not all, House committees, giving them considerable power in presenting their agenda.

Sales says they intend to use that power to push forward a group of core bills that define them as Republicans.

Those proposals include permanent property-tax reductions, giving parents more rights over a child's decision to have an abortion, harsher penalties for sex offenders, a "personal defense'' bill giving citizens more leeway to defend themselves against crime, and reforms of the public pension funds.

"We're going to get them out of committee, debate them, pass them to the Senate and see where we're going to go,'' Sales says. "At least we're going to give Montanans an idea of what our party is about.''

The plan is to force Democrats to vote on these bills and perhaps use those votes in the 2008 election, to show Montana voters where Democrats stand on conservative issues.

Sales also expects the Republican-controlled House to make some considerable cuts in Gov. Schweitzer's spending plans, which call for a $700 million, 22 percent increase in two-year spending from the state general fund.

Sales says he knows the Republican agenda won't get through the Democratic Senate or Schweitzer in one piece. But if the Senate just kills everything Republican, things could get difficult for the Schweitzer agenda in the House, he says.

"We're going to have our bills out and see how they are treated by the Senate,'' he says. "We're not going to try to be obstructionist or anything. (but) I hope (the governor) will work with us on some of our things. It's a two-way street.''

Sales defeated Rep. Alan Olson, R-Roundup, for the spot of House speaker by a single vote among House Republicans.

Olson had presented himself as the moderate alternative, more able to work with Democrats on key issues in a closely divided Legislature.

Olson said last week he plans to "work my tail off'' to support Sales and his plans as speaker. Still, Olson also said he hopes Republicans can "lead from the middle'' rather than plotting an extreme course.

As for Democrats, they're clearly comfortable claiming what they see as the political center -- a spot they believe has helped them score some significant victories in the past several Montana elections.

The Democratic leaders in the Senate and House have a reputation as moderates, and say they hope to move their agenda and that of Gov. Brian Schweitzer by getting support from moderate Republicans at the 2007 Legislature.

"That's how you meet the political middle ground,'' says incoming Senate President Mike Cooney, D-Helena. "You find those people willing to look at other ideas, rather than just the party line. That's the political process. There's nothing sinister about it.''